NATURAL HISTORY. . 91 



skin is so strong and slippery that it is veiy difficult to drive 

 the harpoon through it, and even a sharp weapon frequently 

 glides off without injuring the animal. The great enemy of 

 the walrus is the polar bear, who does not always venture on an 

 open battle, as when a combat takes place, the walrus defends 

 himself most vigorously with his curved tusks and often 

 inflicts fearful gashes on the bear, forcing it to abandon the 

 contest. 



The head of this animal is very small in proportion to the. 

 remainder of its body, and often deceives people as to its, 

 size, which is difficult to ascertain without examination. The 

 stuffed specimen in the British Museum, although in bad 

 preservation, will give a tolerable idea of the animal. The 

 expression of its countenance is very ferocious, principally on 

 account of the enormous size of the upper lip and the thick 

 bristles with which it is covered. The length of the "Walrus 

 is about fifteen or sixteen feet, and it yields from twenty to 

 thirty gallons of excellent oil 



Order III. . . GETE. (Gr. KJyrof, a Whale, or sea monster.) 

 Family I Balamidce. (Gr. BaAcuw,a Whale. Whale kind.) 



THE WHALE. 



THE CETACEA, or WHALE tribe, closely resemble the fishes, 

 and have often been placed among these animals by natu- 

 ralists. They, however, are distinguished by possessing warm 

 blood, and in consequence, being forced to rise at intervals in 

 order to breathe the air, instead of separating from the water, 

 by means of their gills, sufficient air for supporting life. 



The great Greenland Whale is found in the Northern 

 Oceans, living amid ice and perpetual cold. Many ships are 

 annually fitted out for the capture of this creature, which, 

 unhappily for itself, furnishes oil and whalebone. The oil 

 is obtained from the thick layer of fatty substance called 

 blubber, which lies immediately under the skin ; and the 

 whalebone which, by the way, is not bone at all is obtained 

 from the interior of the mouth, where it fringes the jaws and 



